Rimadyl is a popular
drug prescribed for pets which in
America has had devastating effects
reported. Read here various reports
and clinical evidence in this long
page.

Most
Arthritic Dogs Do Very Well On This
Pill, Except Ones That Die
By CHRIS ADAMS
Staff Reporter of THE
WALL STREET JOURNAL March 13,
2000.

You
might call it a made-for-TV drug.
Approved for human use in the U.S.
but not marketed that way, an
arthritis medicine called Rimadyl
languished for nearly 10 years in
developmental limbo, then emerged in
a surprising new form: Instead of a
human drug, it was now a drug for
arthritic dogs. And it became a hit.

With
the aid of slick commercials
featuring once-lame dogs bounding
happily about, Rimadyl changed the
way veterinarians treated dogs.
"Clients would walk in and say,
'What about this Rimadyl?' "
says George Siemering, who practices
in Springfield, Va.

Today,
those TV spots are gone. The reason
has to do with dogs like Montana.

A
six-year-old Siberian husky with
stiff back legs, Montana hobbled out
of a vet's office in Brooklyn, N.Y.,
six months ago accompanied by his
human, Angela Giglio, and a supply of
Rimadyl pills. At first, the drug
appeared to work. But then Montana
lost his appetite. He went limp,
wobbling instead of walking. Finally
he didn't walk at all. He ate leaves,
vomited, had seizures and,
eventually, was put to sleep. An
autopsy showed the sort of liver
damage associated with a bad drug
reaction.

Pet
drugs are big business -- an
estimated $3 billion world-wide --
and Rimadyl is one of the
bestsellers. It has been given to
more than four million dogs in the
U.S. and more abroad, brought Pfizer
Inc. tens of millions of dollars in
sales, and pleased many veterinarians
and dog owners. But the drug has also
stirred a controversy, with other pet
owners complaining that nobody warned
them of its risks.

Montana's
owner, Ms. Giglio, is among them.
After she informed Pfizer and the
Food and Drug administration of her
relatively youthful dog's death,
Pfizer offered her $430 "as a
gesture of good will" and to
cover part of the medical costs.
Insulted by the offer and a
stipulation that she agree to tell no
one about the payment except her tax
preparer, she refused to sign and
didn't take the money. "There's
just no way in my conscience or heart
I can release them from blame,"
she says.

After
reports of bad reactions and deaths
started streaming in to the FDA, the
agency suggested that Pfizer mention
"death" as a possible side
effect in a warning letter to vets,
on labels and in TV ads. Pfizer
eventually did use the word with vets
and on labels, but when given an
ultimatum about the commercials --
mention "death" in the
audio or end the ads -- Pfizer chose
to drop them.

Pfizer's
director of animal-products technical
services, Edward W. Kanara, says that
when reports started coming in,
"we acted extremely promptly
based on the information we
had." Pfizer points out that
reported adverse events involve less
than 1% of treated dog.

Since
Rimadyl's 1997 launch, the FDA has
received reports of about 1,000 dogs
that died or were put to sleep and
7,000 more that had bad reactions
after taking the drug, records and
official estimates indicate. The FDA
says such events are significantly
underreported.

While
the numbers include cases
"possibly" related to
Rimadyl, it is hard to be sure. Many
dogs given the arthritis drug are
older, and few are autopsied after
they die. Pfizer says it analyzed
cases of Rimadyl treated dogs that
died in 1998 and found a link to
Rimadyl to be "likely" in
12% of cases and "not
likely" in 22%; it says there
was too little information for a
judgment about the others.

Still
ApprovedDespite these problems, the FDA
says Rimadyl deserves to be on the
market, provided vets take the proper
precautions. These include advising
dog owners what bad reactions to
watch for and periodically doing
liver-function or other lab tests.

Within
a few weeks, Pfizer will begin
affixing a safety sheet directly to
packages of Rimadyl pills. It is the
first time either FDA officials or
Pfizer can recall such a step being
taken in the world of animal drugs.

Rimadyl
-- generically carprofen -- is an
anti-inflammatory medicine. Developer
Roche Laboratories expected to market
it for people in 1988 and received
FDA approval, but shelved the plan
after concluding the market for such
drugs was too crowded. In addition,
some outside experts expressed
concerns; a commentary in a
pharmaceutical journal noted unusual
liver-function readings in 14% to 20%
of test subjects and opined that
"until additional data on
carprofen are available, older
compounds should probably be tried
initially."

The
idea of switching the product to the
animal-drug track soon arose. A
couple of corporate transactions
later, it ended up in the hands of
Pfizer's animal-drug unit.

There,
it was treated to the kind of
sophisticated marketing Pfizer does
well. A survey of 885 dog owners was
done. Besides shedding light on
favorite dog names (Jake, Ginger,
Lady), the poll revealed that
one-fifth of dog owners would be
willing to spend "whatever it
took" to buy an aging dog an
extra year or two of life. No fewer
than 53% agreed that "my dog is
a better companion than other members
of my family."

The
FDA requires safety and efficacy
testing for animal drugs just as for
human ones, but animal-drug tests are
smaller. Pfizer says about 500 dogs
got Rimadyl in various trials, which
is no more than a fifth of the number
of subjects in comparable human-drug
trials. Some dogs showed unusual
liver-function readings and one young
beagle on a high dose died, but for
the most part, the FDA and Pfizer
didn't find side effects alarming.
The drug was approved for an
early-1997 launch.

That
same year, the FDA made it easier to
market drugs directly to consumers on
TV. Soon, Pfizer was running
commercials in which a once-stiff
yellow Labrador retriever named Lady
bounded over a fallen tree as she
fetched tennis balls beside a lake.
In another ad, a dog leapt through a
window and slid down a banister.

There
were also full-page magazine ads and
a public-relations campaign, whose
results, the PR firm later said,
included 1,785 print stories, 856
radio reports and 245 TV news reports
"generating 25.5 million
positive impressions on the
product."

Early
on, vets were floored by the drug's
effects. "The results in some
cases have been pretty darn close to
miraculous," says David Whitten
of the Hilldale Veterinary Hospital
in Southfield, Mich. "I'm using
this drug on my own dog. It has been
effective. But as with all
medications, side effects are
certainly a problem."

The
First ComplaintsIndeed, within months of the
launch, vets at Colorado State
University in Fort Collins noticed
troubling reactions. Labrador
retrievers seemed particularly
affected. Since the safety studies
for Rimadyl had emphasized testing on
young beagles, Pfizer went back to
conduct another, small test just on
Labs; it says that test showed no
particular problem.

Bill
Keller, an FDA veterinary-medicine
official, notes that "any time
you take a product from the
investigation and put it into actual
practice, you're going to see things
you didn't expect." But reports
about Rimadyl came in by the
hundreds. The FDA had received just
over 3,000 animal-drug bad-reaction
reports in 1996, the year before
Rimadyl's launch; in 1998, the drug's
first full year, Rimadyl alone
produced more than that many.

They
swamped the FDA's tiny Center for
Veterinary Medicine in Rockville, Md.
Pfizer was scrambling as well.
"Basically, their
response," says Dr. Keller,
"was 'Tell us what you want us
to do. We love the fact that it's
selling so well, but we don't know
what to do with all these adverse
reactions.' "

The
FDA and Pfizer discussed a "Dear
Doctor" letter to be sent to
vets. FDA records show the agency
found parts of an early Pfizer draft
"unacceptable as they are
promotional in tone... ." It was
revised.

>The
records also show Pfizer disagreed
with the FDA's suggestion that the
letter cite "death" as a
possible side effect. To get the
letter out, the FDA told Pfizer it
was "agreeing to your exclusion
of the 'death' syndrome from the
letter at this time. However, we will
revisit the 'death' syndrome issue
and other potential side effects for
possible inclusion in labeling at a
later date." So the term didn't
appear in the first warning Pfizer
sent, in mid-1997.

Clear
BenefitsMeanwhile, dog owners were asking
for Rimadyl. "It was their
advertising that sold me on the
drug," says Michelle Walsh, a
Phoenix woman who says her miniature
schnauzer was given it and later
died.

Not
that vets needed much convincing.
They saw clear benefits from the
drug. On top of that, they could get
points from Pfizer for each Rimadyl
purchase they made; points were
redeemable for PalmPilots, Zip drives
for PCs and other equipment.

Although
Pfizer's letter told vets to explain
to owners the signs of a bad reaction
to Rimadyl, such as vomiting,
lethargy or diarrhea, it is evident
that a great many didn't. The FDA's
Dr. Keller says, "There are a
lot of veterinarians who don't think
they need to take the time, or who
forget, or for whatever reason are
not providing animal owners with this
information."

Donna
Allen, whose chow-mix, Maggie,
started on Rimadyl last summer, says,
"All my vet did was give me this
little bag of pills, with no
information." She says Maggie
"didn't want to take it, but I
made her."

After
four weeks, Maggie began to vomit
violently, Ms. Allen says. The dog
vanished from their home outside
Birmingham, Ala., and later was found
lying in a ditch. Ms. Allen loaded
her into a truck and sped 35 miles to
a veterinary clinic, but the
five-year-old dog died. Her vet
wouldn't implicate Rimadyl in the
death until Ms. Allen urged him to
send the dog's internal organs to the
University of Illinois vet school,
where an examination showed liver
toxicity.

Maggie
was buried under a marker adorned
with the figure of an angel. And Ms.
Allen took to the streets, delivering
a letter to all the vets in the area
urging them to "understand that
Rimadyl helps certain dogs, but it is
poison to other dogs."

The
D-WordAs the complaints poured in, the
FDA told Pfizer it would have to
revisit the label issue. Pfizer had
referred to "fatal
outcomes" on the label as a
possible effect of the drug class to
which Rimadyl belonged, but not
specifically of this drug. Now the
agency asked that Pfizer cite
"death" prominently as a
possible side effect of the drug.
Describing the back and forth with
Pfizer, the FDA's Dr. Keller says,
"They did it. They weren't
enthusiastic about it, but they have
always been cooperative. And that's
part of the nature of the game we
play with industry."

But
the FDA also wanted the word
"death" in the audio of
commercials. Pfizer indicated this
"would be devastating to the
product," FDA minutes of a
February 1999 meeting show. A company
spokesman says that "putting
'death' on a 30-second commercial and
in proper context was something we
didn't think was possible."
Rather than do so, it eventually
pulled the commercials.

Pfizer
says it now will do traditional
marketing to vets, making sure they
know the proper way to use the drug.
Another "Dear Doctor"
letter will soon go out, and the
company will start attaching a safety
sheet to pill packages.

Pfizer
acknowledges it has a perception
problem with some dog owners; a
consumer group, for instance, has
mounted a campaign dubbed BARKS, for
Be Aware of Rimadyl's Known
Side-effects. The company is
contacting dog owners who have told
their stories on the Internet, and it
is offering to pay medical and
diagnostic expenses for some dogs who
may have been harmed by Rimadyl.

But
Pfizer stands firmly behind the value
of the drug, of which it says sales
have continued to grow. Most vets
also remain bly behind Rimadyl.
Owners, too, generally say they think
the drug is important -- they just
want to know the risks.

Atlantan
Roger Williams gave his mixed-breed
terrier, William, Rimadyl for more
than a year and believes it
contributed to the dog's death.
"But if I had to do it all over,
I would give my dog Rimadyl
again," he says. "The
difference is I would have known what
to expect. Without Rimadyl, William
was miserable. And what's the point
of living another three years if
you're miserable?"

The Truth About Rimadyl Side Effects - Dangerous & Deadly... A
Potentially Life-threatening Reaction to Rimadyl

loss
of appetite

refusal
to drink

unusual
pattern of urination, blood
in the urine, sweet-smelling
urine, an overabundance of
urine, urine

jaundice
(yellowing of the skin, mucus
membranes and whites of the
eyes)

Ten
Steps to Take If You Suspect Your Dog
Has Had an Adverse Reaction to
Rimadyl

If
any of the above symptoms
appears, immediately stop the
drug and take your dog to the
vet. The earlier your dog
gets appropriate treatment,
the better the chances of
complete recovery.

Have
the vet do a blood panel and
CBC (complete blood count).
This will help your vet to
determine the supportive
therapy your dog needs.

If
your dog seems seriously ill,
and you cannot get an
immediate appointment with
your vet, go to the nearest
emergency veterinary clinic.
Explain that you believe your
dog is having a reaction that
is typical of a dog taking a
non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drug
(NSAID). If the clinic staff
is unfamiliar with the
potential side effects of an
NSAID like Rimadyl, have them
refer to the Rimadyl product
description or package
insert.

Call
and have your veterinarian
call Pfizer. The Pfizer staff
veterinarians should be able
to offer guidance to your
veterinarian for the
necessary tests and therapy
your dog may need: Pfizer:
1-800-366-5288

If
you have caught your dog's
potential adverse reaction to
Rimadyl in time, it is
unlikely that the outcome
will be fatal. Don't panic!
However, whenever it becomes
necessary to establish
whether Rimadyl was a factor
in a dog's death, a necropsy
must be performed. The
necropsy does NOT have to be
done by a veterinarian
appointed by Pfizer; it
should, in fact, be done by
an impartial third party.
However, Pfizer should be
advised promptly that the
necropsy is being undertaken
and that they will be
entitled to some, but not
all, of the tissue samples
obtained.

Try
to maintain a diary of the
events leading up to your
dog's suspected adverse drug
reaction. Make it as detailed
as possible. Also obtain all
medical records from all
sources. Your diary and these
records will be invaluable,
should you decide to apply to
Pfizer for reimbursement of
veterinary medical expenses.

Call
and have your veterinarian
call the FDA's Center for
Veterinary Medicine to report
the incident. Report to the
FDA either by telephone at:
1-888-332-8387 (or
1-888-FDA-VETS) or: You may
also report an adverse drug
experience using a form that
is available on the FDA website.

The
distress of dealing with your
dog's illness may make it
difficult for you to attend
to the practical matters of
reports, procedures, and
bureaucratic requirements. If
you feel you need assistance
or guidance, please E-mail
LuSwinton@aol.com.

You
may wish to join the class
action lawsuit currently
being pursued against Pfizer.

The real
experiences of the owners of pets on Rimadyl --Yellow Lab Reacts
after 10 Days on Rimadyl; Is
EuthanizedFrom an E-mail received
December 7, 2001:

Our
beloved Yellow Lab Bayfield (Biff for
short) was 11 years old when he
started to slow down considerably due
to arthritis. The vet had him on
EtoGesic without much success. I
asked about other options. Rimadyl
was recommended. I immediately
expressed concern, as I had heard
reports of negative side effects of
Rimadyl. However, I was assured that
they had seen promising results and
that he would be monitored. I
eventually agreed to give it a try.

Within
a couple of days of starting Rimadyl,
Biff perked up and was moving freely.
We were optimistic. However, within
approximately 10 days, he started
vomiting large quantities of blood.
Alarmed, we took him immediately to
the vet. The vet felt there was a
pre-existing condition that was
complicated by the effects of old
age. We took Biff home and, within a
month, he became lethargic, could not
stand, became incontinent and could
no longer eat or drink. Biff, who was
just one, big, goofy Lab with a heart
of pure gold looked so sad and as if
he was in a great deal of pain. His
condition deteriorated so quickly, we
were at a loss as to what to do. Our
vet could offer us no hope. We
finally decided to have the vet come
to our house and put him down.

The
guilt I feel is tremendous. I wish I
had known that vomiting blood was the
'classic' initial symptom of a
reaction to Rimady. I wish I had
known there was a possible
'treatment' for a reaction. I cannot
believe that Pfizer can continue to
dispense this medication. This just
should not have happened. Other than
the arthritis, Biff was in great
health. Our other Lab, Jesse, is 13
1/2 years old ...also with arthritis.
She will never go on Rimadyl. We have
changed her diet to include holistic
remedies, and she is doing remarkably
well. I am writing this in the hopes
that no one else has to go through
what we did...."

Borzoi
Dies within Days of Beginning Rimadyl
TherapyFrom an E-mail received
November 23, 2001:

"I
found your website after my Borzoi
died suddenly following a course of
Rimadyl. What alarms me is that it
has been four years since the
concerns about Rimadyl began to
surface, and yet I was totally
unaware of the most serious concerns
(sudden, lethal adverse reactions),
as was my veterinarian.

"Josh,
my Borzoi, was 10-1/2 years old and
slowing down considerably due to
arthritis. We had him on coated
aspirin and glucosamine and
chondroitin sulfate for six months
and then last week when I asked if
there was more we could do for him,
our vet suggested either Rimadyl or
Metacam (not available in the U.S.
yet). He said there could be
potential problems with long-term use
of either of these drugs, but that we
would do regular blood tests to catch
any such problems before they did any
serious damage. I chose Rimadyl
because he said he'd seen very good
results with it and I thought it
would be easier for me to administer
a tablet than a liquid medication
with Josh.

I went
home with a sample 10-day supply to
see if the product had any value
before committing to a larger supply.
Josh weighed 91 pounds and the dosage
was two capsules at 100 mg each per
day, in combination with the
glucosamine and chondroitin. Within
24 hours the results were dramatic.
Josh walked with greater ease and
people commented on the new spring in
his step. The very first day, he
chose a longer route for our walk,
where in recent weeks he'd
deliberately sought the short cuts.
But within three days, he started to
slow down a bit. On the fourth
evening, he seemed to have lost his
appetite. The next morning I found
him in great distress, panting and
gagging. When I urged him to get up,
his hind end totally collapsed and he
couldn't move his back legs.

Our
vet made a house call with an
assistant and they carried Josh out
on a stretcher. X-rays showed his
spine was 'like that of a
two-year-old.' Our vet said the
symptoms suggested a central nervous
system problem. Josh did not get any
Rimadyl that day. With his condition
deteriorating into lethargy and
almost paralysis of the hind quarters
by that night, our vet gave him a
cortisone treatment. The next morning
Josh was worse, clearly in misery. He
didn't even acknowledge my arrival
with any sign of hope or pleasure.
Our vet could offer no further
treatment suggestions and predicted
Josh could be dead within a couple of
days. I couldn't bear to see him in
such distress and in the absence of
any hope of improvement decided to
euthanize him yesterday.

At no
time was the subject of Rimadyl
raised as a possible cause. Then I
recalled a friend a couple of years
ago telling me she had met a drug
company rep at a conference and the
rep had told her one of their canine
arthritis drugs was killing dogs.
Although I couldn't believe a drug
that was known to be killing dogs
could still be on the market two
years later, I did an Internet search
on Rimadyl today only to discover it
was this drug she was talking about
and that it was still widely in use
and obviously still not as well
understood as it should be by
veterinarians.

My vet
is a thorough, well-respected
professional who spends all kinds of
time with me and my pets during our
visits to explain all the
possibilities and options in great
detail -- so he wasn't being
negligent. We both talked with the
Pfizer Canada vet, who kindly but
adroitly seized on aspects of Josh's
medical history -- a brief episode of
neck pain four years ago, a 10-pound
weight loss this past year (which may
or may not be significant in a member
of such a large breed who was a fussy
eater) -- to suggest Josh succumbed
to an underlying condition rather
than Rimadyl. Of course, without an
autopsy, there's no way to definitely
implicate Rimadyl. However, my vet
and I are still suspicious. He says
he's 'on the fence' on this one and
will definitely approach Rimadyl with
far more caution in the future.

I hope
you will pass this information on to
people who should have it so as to
prevent any more suspicious deaths.
Josh's symptoms and story are similar
enough to others on this site, that I
feel their connection to Rimadyl is
more than coincidence. I can't know
for sure if the outcome would have
been any different without Rimadyl,
but if I'd known of all these other
cases and the questions surrounding
Rimadyl, I wouldn't have chosen to
use it on Josh. Respectfully, Marylu
Walters, Edmonton, AB Canada

Rimadyl
Given Simultaneously with Prednisone;
No Baseline Tests Done; Side Effects
Warnings Not Given...Fatal OutcomeFrom an E-mail received November
28, 2001:

Our
Tink was 13 years old....old perhaps
in some people's mind but not in
ours. On 5/8/01, during a routine
exam of Tink, my wife asked our vet
if there was anything we could give
Tink for her slight limp and
suspected arthritis. The vet gave us
two sample bottles of Rimadyl. No
blood test done. We gave her 75mg
twice a day. When it ran out we
decided to continue with it,
basically because at that time we
couldn't see that it was hurting her
at all. The vet had already given his
blessing to get more if we needed it.

On
5/30/01, we purchased a large bottle
of Rimadyl right from the
receptionist at the same animal
clinic; we did not have to see the
vet to do so. By 7/03/01, Tink didn't
seem to quite herself; among other
things her energy level had gone down
somewhat. So back to the same vet she
went. This time he prescribed
Prednisone because he said she had an
enlarged heart, and he took some
x-rays. No mention was made of the
Rimadyl.

On
8/29/01, she was back to the vet
because she had been coughing and
gagging quite a bit. A different vet
at the same clinic saw her and
prescribed Cephalexin 500mg. The
Rimadyl was almost gone, so my wife
asked this different vet about
getting another bottle. She also
informed this vet (in case he hadn't
seen it on Tink's chart), that Tink
was also on Prednisone for her
enlarged heart. This vet was somewhat
puzzled to learn that Tink was taking
both medicines at the same
time....not because he said they were
not compatible with each other but
because they both contained
anti-inflammatory agents that were
basically doing the same thing. He
suggested we cut back on the Rimadyl
a little. Still no blood tests done
on her. We then decreased the Rimadyl
to one 75mg a day and most of the
time she only got about half of that
a day.

About
this time she was also showing some
signs of incontinence....a dribble
here and there, whenever she got to
her feet. Getting to her feet was
also becoming much harder. We thought
that the incontinence and struggling
to her feet were just signs of age.
By 11/12/01, we started to noticed to
notice a red tinge to some of the
urine drops on the floor. So we took
her to the vet again. This time, the
first vet saw her and said she had a
bladder infection and prescribed SMZ
TMP Double S, an anti-biotic. We gave
her the medicine for a week, along
with the other two she was already
taking and didn't notice an
improvement with the blood in her
urine.

On 11/19/01, when the antibiotic ran
out, we called the vet and he said to
get some more and try it for another
week. Also on this morning she
vomited and just didn't want to get
up. We were reluctant at first to
call the vet because we both had the
feeling from talking with him that he
would suggest bringing her in and
'putting her down.' By 11/21/01, all
she wanted to do was lie down, though
she was able to still go outside
(after we got her on her feet) and do
her business. I think pride in
herself was the energy that enabled
her to do even that. I called the vet
and described the symptoms and his
answer was 'She's old.....she's got a
lot wrong with her...I had to think
about doing the right thing.... he
could try and drag out her life for
her if that's what we wanted, but it
probably wasn't fair to her.' And on
and so on.

On
11/24/01, we stopped the antibiotic
because we weren't finding as much
blood as before and because I thought
she might be having some kind of
adverse reaction to the stuff. For
the next two days ,we spent all the
time with her. She looked so weak and
sad, and so very pathetic. The only
thing that brought her to a sitting
position during that time was if you
offered her a snack, which by this
time we were giving her all her
favorites foods and treats. Once
encouraged she would also drink a
little. We made an appointment for
3:00 PM last Monday, 11/26/01. I
carried her to the car, held her
little head in my hands while my wife
drove to the clinic. Once there, we
still hoped for a miracle. We
described again the symptoms that we
thought had come on very quickly. But
the vet told us that 'her time had
come....we were doing the right
thing.' He also commented on what we
had also noticed, that her stomach
had became a little bloated and
distended.

We
held her and cried like I'm crying
now and she went to sleep for the
last time in our arms. I carried her
back to the car and she came home for
the last time. Yesterday, Tuesday,
11/27/01, trying to get a handle on
the heartache and grief, I looked
around the Internet at the different
'dog' sites. When I got to srdogs and
read about Rimadyl, I was shocked.
Tink had vomited, she did have the
blood in her urine, she had become
somewhat incontinent, she had become
weak and lethargic, she was
stumbling, struggling and having a
hard time getting to her feet and
maintaining her balance, and her
appetite had decreased a lot.....all
in a matter of a few months.

We
have spoken to our vet about our
concerns, and after repeating all
Tink's symptoms to him again and
saying that they seemed to match a
lot of the side effects associated
with Rimadyl, he said they also
matched symptoms of old age in a dog
too. He claims he didn't know she was
still on Rimadyl because he wasn't
the one who handed them to us when we
went back twice for the
refills.(Makes you wonder about her
chart.) He also says that he never
would have prescribed the Rimadyl and
Prednisone together if he had known
Tink was still on the Rimadyl. But he
believes through all his 'experience'
that the symptoms she had, that had
come on so quickly, were not related
to Rimadyl, with or without the
Prednisone. 'She was just old and her
time had come, and we were right in
what we did.' When I asked why a
blood test was never done during all
of this, he said he didn't believe it
was worth the money....and that he
had dispensed a lot of Rimadyl
without any tests. He said that
Pfizer may recommend a test before
and during, but it is not required.
He was sorry that she didn't live to
be 16, but "not all dogs
do", he said.
Rick & Paula Card

Black
Lab Begins EtoGesic Therapy for
Arthritis; Is Switched to
Rimadyl.....Then DiesFrom an E-mail received August
13, 2001: "Our beloved Betsy, a
Black Lab, had a slight problem with
arthritis. On June 20, the vet
prescribed Etogesic, which, within
one week, caused vomiting, diarrhea
and loss of appetite. The vet
recommended withdrawing the drug, and
she immediately improved. The vet
then recommended Rimadyl, telling us
that there were some adverse effects,
but that they were very rare. They
tested Betsy's blood and liver, which
were both normal, and told us that
she was very healthy.

"Within
two weeks of beginning Rimadyl, Betsy
began vomiting blood. The next night
she passed blood through the bowel
and lost all energy; she was unable
to walk. I took her to the vet, who
kept saying it was probably
intestinal cancer and that they would
test for it. Each day, she became
progressively worse. It was never
mentioned that Rimadyl could be
lethal to Labs. We were waiting for
results of another cancer test when
Betsy passed away at the vet's,
two-and-a-half weeks after starting
Rimadyl. An autopsy showed that both
EtoGesic and Rimadyl were implicated
in her death.

"Our
hearts are broken. We need to do
something more to warn others. I urge
everyone to please let us know if
this has happened to you. We need to
get this information to the
manufacturers of these drugs and to
the FDA, and to get it out to the
public, as well.
Sadly, Tom Adams in Memory of Betsy

Rimadyl
Consumer Information Sheet NOT
Distributed!! Dog Dies of Liver
Failure.....Report Received April 16, 2001:
"Hello....I just lost my
8-year-old Lab yesterday. The cause
was liver failure. We put her on
Rimadyl exactly four weeks ago. She
got sick the fourth week ---
vomiting, not eating, lethargy....
all the indicators....indicators I
subsequently found on the Internet.
Unfortunately, I wasn't given a sheet
to warn me what to look for. She
appeared to have a seizure Saturday
night, and we took her to an
emergency vet to put her on i.v. meds
and fluids. I put her down Easter
Sunday morning. The more I read, the
more I am sad and disappointed. I
would have watched more carefully,
had I known more about the risk I was
taking.

I have
a case number with Pfizer. They are
paying (I think) for the autopsy. I
still have many questions....... and
have to wonder about liability on
Pfizer's part. I'm sure Rimadyl is a
very helpful drug. I am, however,
also quite sure it is what shortened
my dog's life. I feel a blood test
should be required before the drug is
prescribed, or as a follow up before
long-term prescriptions are given.
Can you give any suggestions? Where
should I look? What should I do? I
would like to prevent this happening
to other dogs. I would like to do
something for them, for their loving
owners, and for Snickers.

2/14/00
-- "Our most beloved and
cherished 14-year-old yellow Labrador
Retriever (Manda) is dying as a
result of being on Rimadyl for three
weeks. The last three days she has
been receiving IV therapy in order to
stay alive. She has displayed every
single symptom that we have read
about on various websites as signs of
Rimadyl poisoning. Up to this point,
she was as healthy as a horse, with
the exception of some stiffness in
her right hind leg, which our vet
originally diagnosed as arthritis and
for which she was given Rimadyl. (It
was subsequently re-evaluated as a
torn ligament.) We are in desperate
need of help from anyone who may
direct us about treatment . We have
read that dogs HAVE recovered from
this horrendous plight, and need as
much information as we can possibly
obtain in order to restore our Manda.

2/10/01
-- It was when I had read the
reactions to Rimadyl on the srdogs
site that I realised how ill my dog
was. Sadly, the outcome was an
unhappy one; he was put to sleep on
December 9, 2000. I was too upset to
have a post mortem carried out and so
can never prove it was about the
possible side effects of this drug,
which may have caused me to act
faster than I did. He had a cruciate
ligament operation and I thought the
initial symptoms of lethargy and loss
of appetite were due to the surgery.
It was only when he developed wet
eczema (hotspots in the US) that I
became concerned it might have been
something else. As I am in the UK, I
have contacted Pfizer ( who paid some
of the blood and stool sample costs)
and, more importantly, I have lodged
a complaint with the Vetinerary
Medicines Directorate (an Executive
member of the Ministry of Agriculture
Fisheries and Food) as I was given no
information with his prescription of
Rimadyl and I feel this is
unacceptable.

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